Legal Aspects of Betting: International Legislation and its Evolution
Sports betting has a long history, and its legal status has changed significantly over time in different countries around the world. Legislation regulating this area has evolved from a complete ban to legalization and government control. For those interested in the latest football match predictions, you can view more predictions on the website to look over insights into upcoming games.
The beginning of the 20th century: bans and restrictions
At the beginning of the 20th century, most countries considered sports betting to be an illegal activity. However, already in the 1920s, some countries, such as Great Britain and France, began to gradually legalize bookmaking. The first laws were quite restrictive, establishing strict licensing rules and high taxes.
The post-war period: liberalization of legislation
After World War II, many countries took the path of liberalizing their betting legislation. Thus, in 1960, the UK passed a law on gambling, which significantly simplified the procedure for obtaining licenses for bookmakers. In the United States, in the 1970s, the first legal bookmakers began to appear in the state of Nevada.
Legalization boom in the 1990s and 2000s
However, the real boom in the legalization of began in the 1990s and 2000s. This was facilitated by several factors:
- development of Internet technologies and online betting;
- desire of states to receive additional tax revenues;
- pressure from the bookmaker lobby and sports organizations.
Current situation: variety of approaches
Today, legislation in the field of sports betting in different countries has its own characteristics. In some countries, such as UK, Malta, this activity is completely legalized and is under the control of special regulatory bodies. They issue licenses to bookmakers, monitor compliance with the rules of fair play and combat match-fixing.
In other countries, for example, in the USA, Canada, Australia, legal sports betting is allowed only in certain regions or states. Here, their own rules for licensing and taxation of bookmakers apply. In most countries of the European Union, betting is regulated at the national level.
Fight against illegal bookmakers
Despite the legalization of betting in many countries, the problem of illegal bookmakers remains relevant. Many players prefer to place bets at offshore offices that offer more favorable odds and do not pay taxes. To combat this phenomenon, states are taking various measures:
- blocking the websites of illegal bookmakers;
- tightening penalties for players who place bets at unlicensed offices;
- introducing additional requirements for legal operators (for example, mandatory customer identification).
At the same time, the popularity of betting on eSports and virtual sports has grown. Some countries, such as Spain and Italy, temporarily restricted bookmaker advertising during the pandemic.
Conclusion
Thus, over the past 100 years, the legal status of sports betting underwent a thorny way – from criminalization to legalization and government regulation. Most developed countries today view this area as a legitimate business that generates revenue for the budget and will keep cooperate with them for better tax revenue.
